Stem Cells Could Develop Into Eggs

Scientists in Britain have shown that stem cells extracted from human embryos can develop in the laboratory into the early forms of cells that become eggs or sperm. The research raises the possibility that one day eggs and sperm needed for infertility treatment could be grown in a dish. Preliminary experiments also suggest that scientists may eventually be able to use the technique to create a supply of eggs for cloning.
But the more immediate benefit of the work could be a better understanding of why some men and women do not create their own sperm or eggs and whether toxic chemicals in the environment play a role, one of the researchers said before the start of the annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. The findings were scheduled to be presented Monday in Copenhagen.